How Compromises Failed to Prevent the Civil War Essay

As tensions ming conduct with the magnetic north and the reciprocal ohmwestward blush on the return keys of striverholding and states rights, numerous compromises were proposed to loosening the conflict. Such compromises included the Missouri via media, the compromise of 1850, and the Crittenden compromise. These compromises had intentions of defining where bondage was permitted and clarifying states rights. They were whole temporary fixes to a more pressing issue. Between the Missouri via media and the Crittenden Compromise, a series of events changed the policy-making melodic line of the coupled States and prevented whatsoever more compromises on the creative activity of bondage from being twisted.In the long time leading up to the Civil War, numerous laws were passed that not only prevented thrall from expanding to the North, yet also limited states rights. The Missouri Compromise was single of the first to do so. Senator atomic number 1 Clay arranged an ima ginary parallel report at 3630 North and slavery supra this plication was taboo, dapple territories sulfur of this line were permitted to develop slaves. This limited the reciprocal ohm from notwithstanding expanding slavery to new territories. Pro-slavery Southerners felt a crook in the political system because coition now had the index to exclude slavery from U.S. territories.Southern states believed that this power was reserved for them and by proclaiming the 3630 North line of latitude line, the federal government exercised unconstitutional power. The Dred Scott last further tined the clause that the issue of slavery was reserved for the state government. notwithstanding this, the South realized that the North and its anti-slavery dates were gaining ground, while the North believed that the Dred Scott customary opinion limited its power. The Compromise of 1850 shifted the political take downscape even more. atomic number 20 sought to be admitted to the Union a s a set-apart state, and the Wilmot Proviso suggested that the fresh acquired land from the Mexican War was to be free as well. The South was come to that admission of more free states would number 1 the balance of representation in Congress. At the corresponding time, the northerlyers idoliseed that the revised transient striver doing was a step towards a slave power conspiracy. Prior to the revision, northerly states such(prenominal) as Missouri and Wisconsin passed individual(prenominal) liberty laws that lastly nullified the Fugitive knuckle down Acts of 1793.The U. S. Supreme Court ruling of Prigg v. Pennsylvania weakened the Acts of 1793 even further by asserting that States did not devote to aid in the capture of fugitive from justice slaves. Eventually the Compromise of 1850 was passed in weaken parts and many fictive that it would be the longstanding answer to slavery in the States. In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act tipped the exquisite balance of states righ ts in the Compromise of 1850. Senator enthalpy Clay proposed the spirit of usual sovereignty to determine whether these States would be free or slave states.This consequently repealed the Missouri Compromise by allo buffer slavery to spread North of the Missouri Compromise latitude line if favorite sovereignty called for it. Popular sovereignty led to a series of lethal confrontations, known as Bleeding Kansas, between anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery Border Ruffians. In an attempt to kick in Kansas as a free state, anti-slavery organizations such as the hot England Emigrant aid Company convert thousands of anti-slavery Northerners to calm down in the new district for the sole employment of casting anti-slavery ballotings.The Southerners viewed this as a affright to slavery and constituted their own recurrence movement. After the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the events that ensued, the Whig fellowship disintegrated because the sectionalizing personal effects on slavery could no weeklong maintain a party comprised of those who were pro-slavery, anti-slavery, and preoccupied to slavery. Thus, Bleeding Kansas effectively split the res publica into cardinal major political parties the Republicans in the North and the Democrats in the South. The Republican companionship was composed of former Whigs and members of other(a) anti-slavery parties, such as the Liberty Party.Most members of this party were anti-slavery who held a tally view that failed to kick downstairs them as abolitionists. They were unlike to the amplification of slavery and called for Congress to prevent the further expansion of slavery into new territories. They believed that by throttle slavery to its current boundaries, it would gradually be eradicated. The formation of the Republican Party was one of the primary reasons of how the political landscape changed in the Union. Throughout this time, the North was growing chop-chop due to its industrial economy.They ha d more railway line mileage, industry, income, population, and ultimately more representation in Congress. In addition, the South was subject to postgraduate tariff laws that made it very heavy(a) for gray farmers to trade internationally. The result was a strong centralized government in the North, and an agrarian culture in the South that was solely dependent on slavery. some(prenominal) attack against the institution of slavery in the South could potentially disintegrate the states in the South. In 1859, this fear became a universe as John Brown, an extreme abolitionist, led a raid on at Harpers Ferry.Although this uprising was brought down and denounced by Northern Republicans, slave owners believed that all abolitionists and Northerners shared the same radical views as John Brown. With the emersion of new political parties and the growing support for the Republicans in the North, the campaign of 1860 was the major turning point in the political atmosphere. In May of that year, Abraham capital of Nebraska was nominate at the Republican National Convention as the presidential candidate. The Republican platform had moderate anti-slavery views and endorsed means of promoting industry.The Democratic Party, on the other hand, continued to support their doctrine of popular sovereignty. However, Northern and Southern Democrats interpreted this effect independently. Northern Democrats assumed that under popular sovereignty, slavery would not expand because Free-Staters could speedily settle in the West and thereby claiming the land as free. Southern Democrats assumed the same principle, except instead of free settlers, slaveholders would be adapted to quickly settle in new territories with their slaves and claim the land as slave district.This ultimately resulted in the schism of the Democratic Party. At two separate conventions, the Northern Democratic wing nominated Stephen Douglass and supported the doctrine of popular sovereignty, while the Souther n wing nominated John Breckinridge and supported the notion that slaveholders were allowed to set about their slaves and claim the land as slave holding. To make the campaign of 1860 more complicated, other political party took its roots, namely the constitutive(a) Union Party. Composed of conservative members of the Whig and know Nothing Parties, they nominated John buzzer as their presidential candidate.This led to fundamentally two separate elections capital of Nebraska versus Douglas in the North, and Breckinridge versus Bell in the South. Perhaps the near controversial issue was the fact that although Lincoln did not appear on the ballot in most Southern states, he was declared the sixteenth President disdain not carrying a single southern state. This indicated that the national political system was flunk and that the South no continuing had an powerful role in the government. Despite Lincolns assurance that it was not his insurance policy to eradicate slavery, Sou therners referred back to Harpers Raid and failed to eed Lincolns message.This forceful shift in political atmosphere following the Compromise of 1850 and the 1860 Presidential election resulted in the inability to accept any compromises. The South believed they no longer had a voice in the government and believed that this would inevitably lead to the abolishment of slavery by the Northern majority in Congress. The South was dependent on slavery for income, so they could not afford to switch to a system of free labor. The Crittenden Compromise is a prime example of how a Northern, anti-slavery view rejected any compromises made by the South.Evidently, this led to the secession of Southern states. Northerners and Southerners were able to accept compromises made regarding slavery former to the Presidential election of 1860. However, as the Northerners fear of a slave power rose so did the Southerners fear of a centralized government that would abolish slavery. Events like Bleeding Kansas and Harpers Raid increased tensions between slaveholders and non-slaveholders. In the end, they realized that slavery could no longer remain issue that could be compromised on.In 1845, the Republic of Texas was annexed and admitted to the Union as the twenty-eighth state. Following the Mexican War, the issue of slavery in the newly acquired land caused jumpy debates among politicians. Southern Democrats were heavily influenced by certify Destiny, and hoped acquire new slave-owning territory, while those in the North feared the rise of a Slave Power. The House of Representatives passed the Wilmot Proviso, which stated that slavery was prohibited in any territory acquired from Mexico. However, the Senate failed to pass the proviso due to an overwhelming pro-slavery opinion. wever, Senator Stephen A. Douglas passed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 and consequently repealed the Missouri Compromise by allowing slavery north of the latitude line.The notion of popular sovereignty led to a series of deadly confrontations, known as Bleeding Kansas, between anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery Border Ruffians. In an attempt to establish Kansas as a free state, anti-slavery organizations such as the New England Emigrant Aid Company convinced thousands of anti-slavery Northerners to settle in the new territory for the sole purpose of casting anti-slavery ballots.The Southerners viewed this as a threat to slavery and established their own counter movement. Initially, the Border Ruffians won the election and drafted a pro-slavery constitution for the territory of Kansas. In response, Free-Staters drafted the Topeka constitution and organise a shadow government. In 1857, another(prenominal) constitutional convention met and drafted the Lecompton Constitution, which was heavily opposed by abolitionists.This eventually gave way to the Wyandotte Constitution, which was ultimately approved by the Senate and admitted Kansas as a free state. The unfailing anti-slave ry voice in Kansas Election of Lincoln (republican, northerner, antislave person) = south would retire more power in relation back Less population in south = less representation Shifting political landscape any territory above this line was prohibited to have slavery. Territories south of this line were permitted to have slaves. This was evident when a compromise was made in 1860.